dismal 
A Highlander, says Mr. Pennant, never hep-ins any Thing 
of Consequence on the Day of the Week on which the 
Third of May falls, which he calls the dismal Day. 
Bourne's Pop. Atttiij. (1777), p. 219. 
Full well the busy whisper, circling round, 
Convey 'd the dismal tidings when he frown'd. 
Goldsmith, DCS. Vil., 1. 204. 
II. n. If. See extract and etymology. 
I not (lie wot, know not) wel how that I began, 
Ful evel rehersen hit I can, 
And eek, as helpe me God withal, 
I trow hit was in the dismal 
That was the woundes of Egipte. 
Chancer, Death of Blanche, 1. 1206. 
2. Gloom ; melancholy ; dumps : usually in the 
plural, in the phrase in the dismals. [Colloq.] 
Dismal, a mental disease, probably melancholy. 
Polwart. (Jamieson.) 
He comes, and seems entirely wrapt up iu the dismals. 
What can be the matter now ? Foote, The Liar, ii. 
3. pi. Mourning-garments. 
As my lady is decked out in her dismals, perhaps she 
may take a fancy to faint. Foote, Trip to Calais, iii. 
4. A name given in the southern Atlantic 
States, in the region bordering on the sea and 
sounds, and especially in North Carolina, to a 
tract of land, swampy in character, often cov- 
ered by a considerable thickness of half-de- 
cayed wood and saturated with water. Some of 
the so-called dismals are essentially peat-swamps or bogs. 
They often inclose island-like knobs and hummocks of 
firm land. The soil and forest-growth of the dismals vary 
in different regions. The Great Dismal Swamp lies on the 
border of North Carolina and Virginia. Much of this is 
a peat-bog, and a very large part is covered by a stunted 
growth of shrubs and dwarfed trees. 
5f. The devil. 
Y dismall, devill, [L.] diabolus. 
Levins, Manip. Vocab., col. 13, 1. 20. 
How suld he kyth mirakil, and he sa evil ? 
Kever hot by the dysmcl, or the devil. 
Priest's Peblis (fmkerton's Scottish Poems Repr., I. 17). 
dismal (diz'mal), v. i. ; pret. and pp. dismaled 
or dismalled, ppr. dismaling or dismalling. [< 
dismal, a.] To feel dismal or melancholy. 
Davies. [Bare.] 
Miss L. sung various old elegies of Jackson. Dr. Har- 
rington, and Linley, and O ! how I dismalled in hearing 
them. Mme. D'Arblay, Diary, I. 344. 
dismality (diz-mal'i-ti), n. ; pi. dismantles (-tiz). 
[< dismal + -ity.] The quality of being dis- 
mal; that which is dismal. Davies. 
What signifies dwelling upon such dismantles 1 
Miss Burney, Camilla, vi. 14. 
dismally (diz'mal-i), adv. In a dismal man- 
ner; with gloom or sorrow; cheerlessly; de- 
pressingly. 
dismalness (diz'mal-nes), n. The state of be- 
ing dismal. 
There is one pleasure ... that your deepest dismalness 
will never resist. George Eliot, Mill on the Floss, vi. 2. 
disman (dis-man'), v. t.; pret. and pp. dis- 
mauned, ppr. dismantling. [< dis- priv. + man.'] 
1. To deprive of men ; destroy the male popu- 
lation of. KinglaTee. 2f. To deprive of hu- 
manity; unman. 
Though, indeed, if we consider this dissolution, man by 
death is absolutely divided and dismarid. 
Feltham, Resolves, i. 47. 
dismantle (dis-man'tl), v. t. ; pret. and pp. dis- 
mantled, ppr. dismantling. [< OF. dvsmantcller, 
take off one's cloak, raze or beat down the wall 
of a fortress, dismantle, F. demantcler = Sp. 
Pg. desmantelar = It. dismantellare, smantel- 
lare; as dis- priv. + mantle: see dis- and man- 
tle.'] If. To deprive of dress; strip; divest; 
undress. 
Take yonr sweetheart's hat, 
And pluck it o'er your brows ; muffle your face ; 
Dismantle you. Shot., W. T., iv. 3. 
2. To loose; throw open or off; undo. [Rare.] 
That she who even but now was your best object, . 
The best, the dearest, should in this trice of time 
Commit a thing so monstrous, to dismantle 
So many folds of favour. Shak., Lear, i. 1. 
Specifically 3. To deprive or strip of appa- 
ratus, furniture, equipments, defenses, or the 
like : as, to dismantle a ship, a fortress, a town, 
eto. 
When Ptolemais was taken, Saladine, fearing the Chris- 
tians further proceeding, dismantles all the best Towns 
that were near it. Baker, Chronicles, p. 63. 
None but an accomplished military engineer could at- 
tempt to give an account of the remains of all the fortifi- 
cations, Venetian and English, dismantled, ruined, or al- 
together blown up. E. A. Freeman, Venice, p. 360. 
4f. To break down ; make useless ; destroy. 
His eye balls, rooted out, are thrown to ground ; 
His nose, dismantled, in his mouth is found ; 
His jaws, cheeks, front, one undistinguish'd wound. 
Dryden. 
1670 
dismanyt fdis-mar'i), r. t. [< OF. desmarier, 
F. dcmaricr = Sp. dcsmnridar (obs.), unmarry ; 
as dis- priv. + worry 1 .] To divorce. 
Howebeit agaynst the yonge mannes mynde he was dis- 
tiiarnnl, and maryed agayne to another geutylwoman. 
Kernel's, tr. of Froissart's C'hron., II. cxc. 
dismarshalt (dis-mar'shal), v. t. [< dis- priv. 
+ marshal.] To derange ; disorder. 
What was dismarshall'd late 
In this thy noble frame, 
And lost the prime estate, 
Hath re-obtain'd the same, 
Is HOW most perfect seen. 
Drummond, Sonnets. 
dismaskt (dis-mask'), *> t. [< OF. desmasqiier, 
F. demasquer (= Pg. desmascarar = It. disma- 
scJierare, smasclterare ; cf. Sp. desenmascarar), 
< des- priv. + masquer, mask : see dis- and mask, 
v.] To strip a mask from; uncover; remove 
that which conceals ; unmask. 
Fair ladies, mask'd, are roses in their bud; 
Dismask'd, their damask sweet commixture shown, 
Are angels vailing clouds, or roses blown. 
Shak., L. L. L., T. 2. 
dismast (dis-masf), v. t. [= F. demdter (cf. Pg. 
desmastrear) ; as dis- priv. + mast 1 .'} To de- 
prive of a mast or masts; break and carry 
away the masts from : as, a dismasted ship. 
We lay 
Leaky, dismasted, a most hopeless prey 
To winds and waves. 
William Morris, Earthly Paradise, I. 63. 
dismastment (dis-mast'ment), n. [= F. dt- 
mdtement (cf . Pg. desmastreamento) ', as dismast 
+ -ment.'] The act of dismasting, or the state 
of being dismasted. [Rare.] 
dismawt (dis-ma'), v. t. [< dis- priv. + maw 1 .] 
To disgorge from the maw. 
Now, Mistress Rodriguez, you may unrip yourself and 
dismaw all that you have in your troubled heart and 
grieved entrails. Shelton, tr. of Don Quixote, IV. vii. 
dismay (dis-ma'), v. [< ME. dismayen, des- 
mayen, also demayen, terrify, dishearten, intr. 
lose courage, < OF. *desmayer, *dismayer, in pp. 
dismaye, as adj. (equiv. to esmayer, esmoyer = 
Pr. esmaiar, with different prefix es-, < L. ex), = 
Sp. desmayar = Pg. desmaiar = It. dismagare, 
now smagare, lose courage, trans, terrify, dis- 
may, < L. dis- priv. + Goth, "magan = OHG. 
magan, G. miigen = AS. *magan (pres. ind. tnrxg, 
E. may 1 ), have power; cf. OHG. magen, be 
strong, unmagen, become weak, and see may 1 .] 
I. trans. 1. To break down the courage of, as by 
sudden danger or insuperable difficulty ; over- 
come with fear of impending calamity or fail- 
ure ; fill with despairing apprehension ; utterly 
dishearten : usually in the past participle. 
Than thei toke the queene and ledde Mr to hir chambre 
sore affraied, and thei badde hir be nothinge dismayed. 
Merlin (E. E. T. S.), iii. 465. 
Be strong, and of a good courage ; be not afraid, neither 
be thou dismayed. Josh. i. 9. 
Be not dismay'd, for succour is at hand. 
Shak., 1 Hen. VI., i. 2. 
Thisbe . . . saw the lion's shadow ere himself, 
And ran dismay'd away. Shak., M. of V., v. 1, 
The guests in silence prayed and shook, 
And terror dimmed each lofty look, 
But none of all the astonished train 
Was so dismayed as Deloraine. 
Scott, L. of L. M.,vi. 27. 
2f. To defeat by sudden onslaught ; put to rout. 
When the bold Centaures made that bloudy fray 
With the fierce Lapitheg which did them dismay. 
Spenser, . Q., VI. x. 13. 
3f. To disquiet ; trouble : usually reflexive. 
And dismaye yow not in no maner, but trust verely in 
god, and often repeireth to me, for I duell not fer hens. 
Merlin (E. E. T. S.), i. 6. 
" Madame," quod she, " dismay yow neuer a dele, 
Be of good chere, hurt not yow to soore." 
Oemrydes (E. E. T. S.), 1. 743. 
He shewd him selfe to be disinayd, 
More for the love which he had left behynd, 
Then that which he had to Sir Paridel resynd. 
Spenser, F. Q., IV. i. 37. 
= Syn. 1. To appal, daunt, dispirit, deject, frighten, par- 
alyze, demoralize. 
n.t intrans. To be daunted; stand aghast 
with fear ; be confounded with terror. 
Dismay not, princes, at this accident, 
Nor grieve that Rouen is so recovered. 
Shak., 1 Hen. VI., iii. 3. 
dismay (dis-ma'), (X dismay, T. Cf. F. emoi, 
anxiety, flutter, < OF. esmoi (= Pr. esmai = It. 
smago), < esmoyer, esmayer, v. : see dismay, *>.] 
1. Sudden or complete loss of courage ; de- 
spairing fear or apprehension ; discouraged or 
terrified amazement ; utter disheartenment. 
And each 
In other's countenance read his own dismay. 
Milton, P. L., ii. 422. 
dismemberment 
He who has learned to survey the labor without dismay 
has achieved half the victory. Story, Misc. Writings, p. 532. 
Ask how thou such sights 
May'st see without ili-tinay. 
M. Arnold, Empedocles on Etna. 
2f. Ruin ; defeat ; destruction. 
Like as a ship, whom crucll tempest drives 
Upon a rouke with horrible dismay. 
Spenser, F. Q., V. ii. 50. 
= Syn. 1. Apprehension, Fright, etc. (see alarm) ; discou- 
ragement. 
dismayednesst (dis-mad'ues), n. The state of 
being dismayed ; dejection of courage ; dispir- 
itedness. 
The valiantest feels inward dixmayedness, and yet the 
fearfullest is ashamed fully to shew it. Sir P. Sidney. 
All the time of the storm few of our people were sick, 
. . . and there appeared HO fear or ditnnayedness among 
them. Wiuthrop, Hist. New England, I. 12. 
dismayful (dis-ma'ful), a. [< dismay + -ful, 1.] 
Full of dismay ; causing dismay. 
Greatly queld, 
And much dismayd with that dismayfull sight. 
Spenser, F. Q., V. xi. 26. 
dismaying! (dis-ma'ing), . [Verbal n. of dis- 
may, .] Dismay. 
He says it was pure dismaying and fear that made them 
[the captains of the ships] all run upon the Galloper, not 
having their wits about them ; and that it was a miracle 
they were not all lost. Pepys, Diary, II. 409. 
dismaylt, . t. Same as dismail. 
dismet, An obsolete form of dime. 
dismeasuredt (dis-mezh'urd), a. [< dis- + mea- 
sure + -erf 2 , after OF. desmcsurc (F. demesure = 
Sp. Pg. desmesurado = It. dismisurato, smisura- 
to), pp. of desmesurer, go beyond measure, be 
unrestrained, < des- priv. + mestirer, measure.] 
1. Not rightly measured; mismeasured. Wor- 
cester. 2. Without measure ; unrestrained. 
I will not that my penne bee so dismea&iired to reprove 
so inuche the aunciente men, that the glorie all onely 
shoulde abyde with them that be present. 
Golden Bake, Prol. 
dismember (dis-mem'ber), v. t. [< ME. dismem- 
bren, desmembren, demembren, < OF. desmembrer, 
F. demembrer (= Pr. Sp. Pg. desmembrar = 
It. dismembrare, smembrarc), < ML. dismentbrare 
(equiv. to demembrarc: see demember), dismem- 
ber, < L. dis- priv. + membrum, member.] 1. 
To separate the members of ; divide limb from 
limb; tear or cut in pieces ; dilacerato. 
Whan this kynge saugh hym-self so dismembred he fill 
in swowne. Jlerlin (E. E. T. S.), ii. 195. 
Dynnembre that heron. Babees Book (E. E. T. S.), p. 265. 
Fowls obscene dixmembtred his remains. Pope. 
2. To strip of members or constituent parts; 
sever and distribute the parts of ; take a part or 
parts from: as, to dismember a kingdom. 
Any philosophy reported entire, and dismembered by ar- 
ticles. Bacon, Advancement of Learning, ii. 181. 
The only question was, by whose hands the blow should 
be struck which would dismember that mighty empire 
[Spain]. Buckle, Civilization, II. t. 
The settlers of the western country . . . have gone to 
add to the American family, not to dismember it. 
Everett, Orations, I. 348. 
3. To withdraw or exclude from membership, 
as of a society or body ; declare to be no longer 
a member. [Rare.] 
Since I have dismembered myself, it is incredible how 
cool I am to all politics. Walpole, Letters (1769), III. 290. 
= Syn. 1 and 2. To disjoint, pull apart, break np. 
dismembered (dis-mem'berd), a. [< dis- + mem- 
ber + -ed?.~\ In her. : (a) Same as dechausse. 
(b) Having a principal part cut away, as the 
legs and tail : said of an animal used as a bear- 
ing. Also demembrc. [Rare.] 
dismemberer (dis-mem'ber-er), n. One who 
dismembers. 
dismemberment (dis-mem'ber-ment), n. [< 
OF. desmcmbrement, F. deniembrcmciit(=Pr. des- 
membrament = Sp. desmentbramiento = Pg. des- 
membramento = It. dismembramento, smcmbra- 
mento, < ML. *dismembramentiim, < dismentbrare, 
dismember: see dismember and -men <.] 1. The 
act of dismembering, or the state of being dis- 
membered; the act of tearing or cutting in 
pieces; severance of limbs or parts from the 
main body: as, the dismemberment of an animal 
or of a country. 
After the three dismemberments of the old kingdom, 
the name of Poland was chiefly retained by the part of the 
divided territory annexed to Russia. 
Encyc. Brit., XIX. 308. 
2. Severance of membership ; a breaking off of 
connection as a member. [Rare.] 
The aversion of the inhabitants to the dismemberment 
of their country from the Aragont'sr monarchy. 
Prescott, Ferd. and Isa., i. 2. 
